Scouring pad and holder therefor



April 21, 1936.

A. STEINHARDT SCOURING PAD AND HOLDER THEREFOR Filed Sept. 19, 1933 I w R H OH mm w 5 5. m H

ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 21, 1936 PATENT OFFICE SCOURING PAD AND HOLDER THEREFOR Amos Steinhardt, New York, N. Y., assignor to American Steel Wool Mfg. Co. Inc., New York,

Application September 19, 1933, Serial No. 690,071

Claim.

This invention relates to securing pads and to holders therefor.

At the present time, the use of that abrasive material commonly known as steel wool has become a common-place matter practically in every home. This abrasive material is a mass of fine spinnings of metal such as steel, and is to be differentiated sharply from the old-time steel shavings, many times tried for such purposes but without success. To use the old-time shavings meant great danger to the user. In the use of the pad of steel wool, there is a substantial reduction in this danger, but it still is highly undesirable for women in the customary manner of use, marring the appearance of the fingers very quickly.

In spite of these defects, with marked and radical improvement produced by this new product, which has become practically a. household necessity, over the ancient balls of steel or copper shavings, which had been utilized years ago for cleansing apparatus, there is still a greatly undesirable condition. In the application of the material for use, it is necessary to grasp the pad of steel metal wires or filaments directly by the fingers. The danger is inherent that the fine wires of steel penetrate the flesh, and thereby subject the user to such dangers as blood-poisoning or the like.

It is an object of the invention to provide a pad of the matted steel or similar metallic filaments in such form that a holder may be constructed therefor to permit the pad to be assembled with the holder by the simple operation of placing the holder over the pad and then squeezing the holder firmly to sustain the pad during its manipulation. The pad itself, by the form imparted to it for this purpose, also lends itself to packaging in an easy and simple manner; it is also made possible to manipulate the holder by positioning them in any one of a plurality of different relationships.

Furthermore, the construction of the pad permits the use of a holder which may be formed from a piece of fiat material, either metal or some other substance, capable of having imparted thereto a definite contouring and yet of continuing elastic thereafter. In one case, the material is of a character which permits it to be so marked or scored that it easily can be folded to the form of a holder of the character to be described.

Essentially, the pad will take the form of a one case, the pad may be made up as a body, the cross-section of which is triangular, and that cross-section preferably of an equilateral or an isosceles triangle. One of the edges defined at the apices of these triangles is intended to fit 5 within a pocket formed by the holder.

The holder may be stamped from material such as sheet metal or paper; in one preferred form, material which presents a water-shedding surface, such as fabrikoid, is desired. The pad itself may be formed with indented portions along the triangular walls to facilitate seating the holder when a pad is to be grasped.

Other objects of this invention will hereinafter be set forth, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, in which are illustrated certain embodiments of articles of manufacture which function in the manner of the invention.

The invention, however, is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction or arrangement of elements, or to any particular application of such construction, or to any specific manner of use, or to any of various details thereof herein shown and described, as the same may be modified in various particulars or-be applied in many varied relations without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, the articles of manufacture herein illustrated and described being merely possible forms in which the invention may be exemplified.

On the drawing, in which the same reference characters refer to the same parts throughout, and in which are disclosed the articles of manufacture above referred to:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a steel wool pad, the pad being formed for use in cooperation with a holder embodying features of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective view of a steel wool pad of modified construction;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a blank, scored for the definition of a holder in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 4 is a view in perspective of the blank, when folded to define the holder;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view, in perspective, illustrating the manner in which holder and pad are brought into association for use; and

Fig. 6 illustrates the manner in which pads, formed for cooperation with such holders, function to facilitate packaging;

On the drawing, there are illustrated a number of different forms in which the invention may be applied. In Fig. 1, a pad ll) of polygonal crosssection is illustrated. In this case, the particular form of the cross-section istriangular. Walls l2, l4, and I8 of the pad are disposed so that, on the cross-section, practically an equilateral or an isosceles triangle is defined. As shown in Fig. 2, walls l2, I4, and I6 may not be planar each within its own extent. In the construction there shown, a pad [8 has walls 28, 22, and 24 provided with longitudinally extending depressions 28. Each of these faces may be defined by a pair of surfaces 21 which, combined together for each face, provide a depression. Pads for these purposes are made from fine steel spinnings or filaments, intermeshed in the usual manner of steel wool to form such a pad.

In Figs. 3 and 4, there is illustrated a holder 28. In this case, the holder is a stamping 80 from sheet fabrikoid, the edges being rounded at the corners to strengthen the construction during its use. Face 32 of the fabrikoid is the coated and water-shedding surface; the stamping may be scored along lines 84, 86, and 38. The stamping may be bent along line 38; then it is bent along lines 34 and 38 so that there are defined fiaps 48 and 42, extending laterally away from walls 44 and 48 which define pocket 48. In such a construction, it is preferred that face 32 be disposed on that side in which pocket 48 is defined and which will be brought against the pad.

As shown in Fig. 5, in use, the holder is grasped by bringing the fingers against the outside faces of walls 44 and 46, and then positioning pocket 48 over one of longitudinal edges 50 of a pad. Compressing the walls together causes tight engagement of the holder with the pad. At the same time, the fiaps, positioned in abutment either with one of surfaces 21 or with the deformed wall of the pad, function to steady the pad while protecting the fingers from contacting with the steel wool. The moisture-impervious character of the material interposes a barrier to the passage of moisture so that the fingers constantly remain dry. At the same time, the spread-out fiaps serve to transmit pressure to the squashed pad as it is applied over the surface to be cleaned.

Where it is not desired to lose any of the inherent resiliency of the pad, the preformed condition such as shown in Fig. 2 may not be used, but rather the substantially planar walls of Fig. 1 are used. As shown in Fig. 6, either of these forms may be compactly arranged for packaging.

- Many other changes could be effected in the particular articles of manufacture designed, and in the methods of use set forth, and in specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined in the claims, the articles specifically described hereinabove being merely certain embodiments capable of being ,used in effecting certain of the purposes of the invention.

What is claimed as new and useful is 1. A metal-wool scouring pad of substantially triangular cross section defined by three rectangular surfaces of substantially equal area whereby any one of said surfaces can be used as a work engaging surface while the other two define a finger gripping portion, said finger gripping portion being spaced from two side edges of said work engaging surface.

2. A metal-wool scouring pad of substantially triangular cross section defined by three rectangular surfaces of substantially equal area whereby any one of said surfaces can be used as a work engaging surface while the other two define a finger gripping portion, said finger gripping portion being spaced from two side edges of said work engaging surface, and a handle having a triangular recess conforming substantially to said finger gripping portion of the pad.

3. A metal-wool scouring pad comprising a mass of-metal filaments disposed in a body which is substantially triangular in cross section and which is defined by three rectangular surfaces of substantially equal area, at least one of said surfaces being concave and constituting a work engaging surface while the other two surfaces define a finger gripping portion, said finger gripping portion being spaced from two side edges of said work engaging surface.

4. A metal-wool scouring pad comprising a mass of metal filaments disposed in a body which is substantially triangular in cross section and which is defined by three rectangular surfaces of substantially equal area, at least one of said surfaces being concave and constituting a work engaging surface while the other two surfaces define a finger gripping portion, said finger gripping portion being spaced from two side edges of said work engaging surface, and a handle of sheet material having a recess adapted to conform to said finger gripping portion and movable toward and away from the walls which define the latter and two lateral portions which overlie and engage the portion of the pad on opposite sides of said finger gripping portion.

5. In combination, a metal-wool scouring pad comprising a mass of metal filaments disposed in a body which is substantially triangular in cross section and which is defined by three rectangular surfaces, providing a work engaging surface and a finger gripping portion, and a removable handle therefor, said handle comprising a sheet of fabric scored and folded along a median line and along two spaced parallel lines disposed on opposite sides of said median line providing a recess conforming to said finger gripping portion and two lateral portions overlying and engaging the portion of the pad on opposite sides of said finger gripping portion.

AMOS STEINHARDT. 

